Australia: MP Criticizes Gladstone Dredging

Since September last year, Gladstone Ports Corporation has been claiming that their dredging project is not the cause of poor water quality. However, they have recently admitted that they are contributing to the water problems in this area, according to Yahoo.com.

Queensland Independent MP Liz Cunningham says that for a long time now the problem of dead and diseased fish in Gladstone waters has been caused by heavy duty industrial activity taking place around Queensland’s largest port.

The Corporation admits that the by-product of dredging, which stored in a container, called a bund, has been leaking into the water.

Rick Morton, who chairs the independent panel that advises the Ports Corporation on water quality, says: “Action was initiated immediately in September. What happened there was an internal bund wall was built to divide it into two halves.

“The main problem has been of the northern part of the wall.

“So since September, all dredging has been pumping into that southern part of the wall.“

Gladstone Ports Corporation says it is no longer breaching water quality levels in the harbour.

It is expected that the leak in the bund wall will be repaired over the next month.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, June 28, 2012; Image:westernbasinportdevelopment